Eduardo Perez #33

**Coaching career** Eduardo Perez was named the Astros third base coach on Oct. 22, 2013 after serving as the club's bench coach for the 2013 season. Prior to 2013, Perez had been the Marlins hitting coach since June 8, 2011. During the 2012 offseason, Perez served as manager of the Columbian national team as they played in a qualifying tournament for the World Baseball Classic in November (finished at 1-2). Prior to his stint as Marlins hitting coach, Perez was a special assistant to the baseball operations department for the Cleveland Indians, during which he spent time in uniform during Spring Training providing instruction at the Major League and minor league levels. Perez had success in his two seasons as manager of the Ponce Lions in the Puerto Rican Winter League (2008-09), earning Manager of the Year honors in 2008 after leading his club to the league title. Following the season, he took the Lions to the 2009 Caribbean Series, where they finished with a 2-4 record. Perez had also previously served as the manager and general manager of the Puerto Rico National Team and, in 2009, was their hitting coach in the World Baseball Classic. The Club finished second in on-base percentage (.409) and seventh in batting average (.286) among the 16 teams in the WBC tournament. **Playing career** Perez played parts of 13 seasons (1993-2006) in the Major Leagues, primarily as a first baseman, for the Angels, Cardinals, Reds, Devil Rays, Indians and Mariners. In 754 career games, he posted a .247 average (445x1800) with 79 home runs and 294 RBI. Perez had his best season in 1997 while with Cincinnati, reaching career highs in home runs (18), RBI (52) and games (106). He collected his first ML hit and HR in his first ML game, going 2x4 with three RBI in a 15-8 win July 27, 1993, vs. Oakland while with the Angels. Perez hit two home runs in a game five times in his career and tallied a career high four hits on June 24, 1997, at Montreal. Perez was the Angels first-round draft pick (17th overall) in 1991 after starring at Florida St. University, helping to lead the Seminoles to the College World Series that season. **Personal** Following his playing career, Perez joined ESPN as a baseball analyst for the 2006 postseason and worked full-time for the network for the next four seasons. Eduardo is the youngest of two sons of Hall of Famer Tony Perez. He and his wife, Mirba, reside in San Juan, PR, along with their two daughters, Andreanna and Juliana.

2006

Combined to hit .253 (47-186) with 10 doubles, nine home runs and 33 RBI in 80 games with Cleveland and Seattle ... compiled a .452 slugging percentage ... hit .275 (42-153) with nine home runs and 28 RBI vs. left-handers ... hit .303 with eight homers and 22 RBI with the Indians ... started at first base on Opening Night at the defending World Champion Chicago White Sox, hitting a tworun home run off Mark Buehrle ... was 3-3 with two doubles on 4/17 vs. Detroit ... doubled twice and scored twice on 5/9 at Kansas City ... was traded to the Mariners on 6/30 in exchange for infielder Astrudal Cabrera ... played in 43 games with Seattle, hitting .195 with one home run and 11 RBI ... hit his only home run with the Mariners on 7/23 vs. Boston ... was 2-4 on 9/23 at Chicago.

2005

Spent his second season with the Devil Rays...Appeared in 77 games, including 49 starts (42-1B, 2-LF, 5-DH)...All 49 of his starts came when the Rays faced a lefty starter...Finished with 11 home runs, the second highest total of his career (career-high 16 in 1997 for Cincinnati)...Also had 11 for St. Louis in 2003... Homered once every 14.64 AB, best ratio on the club (min. 150 AB)...Had a pair of two-homer games on the season, both against the Yankees: April 19 at NY (both off Randy Johnson) and Aug. 16 at Tropicana Field (off Johnson and Mariano Rivera)...Had just one multi-HR game in his career entering the season - July 26, 1997 vs. Atlanta for Cincinnati... Had 3 HR off Randy Johnson this season, 4 in his career (in 27 AB)...Only Chipper Jones (in 1999 and 2000) and Marquis Grissom (2002) have hit 3 HR off the Big Unit in one season...Only Jones (6) and Juan Gonzalez (5) own more in their careers...The HR off Rivera was just the 2nd allowed by the Yankee closer on the season (Jason Varitek on April 5)...Was Eduardo's lone HR off a righthander on the year... Belted his 2nd career grand slam June 8 at Cincinnati (off Eric Milton)...Was 4-for-16 as a pinch-hitter for the Rays, 2nd-most successful pinch-hits behind Travis Lee's club-record 10...One of those hits was a walk-off HR April 22 vs. BOS (off Alan Embree)...Was the 7th pinch-hit HR of his career, tied for 8th-most among active players...Had 5 HR in an 18-AB stretch from Aug. 11-29 then went 4-for-28 (.143) over the remainder of the season (0-HR) to drop his avg. from .276 to .255... Was ejected April 9 @ BAL in the 9th inning by home plate umpire Bill Hohn for arguing a called 3rd strike...Was the first ejection of his major league career...On the year he hit .259 (35-135) off LHP with 6 2B, 10HR & 24RBI and a slugging % of .526...Hit .308 (20-65) with runners on and .333 (13-39) with RISP, .318 (7-22) with RISP-2outs.

2004

Appeared in 13 games before rupturing his left Achilles tendon May 9 in Anaheim...injury occurred in the 5th inning of that game as he rounded second base trying to stretch into a triple...underwent season-ending surgery on May 12 in St. Petersburg by Rays orthopedist Dr. Koco Eaton...Made his 7th Opening Day roster and started 10 games (5-1B, 2-DH, 2-LF, 1-RF)...also saw action at 3rd base...Made his Rays debut April 7 vs. NY...knocked in both Rays runs in their 3-2 loss, including a run-scoring double in the 9th off Mariano Rivera, the first run off the Yankee closer in 16 regular season appearances...Gave the Rays their first walk-off win of the season April 9 over the Orioles as his 0-1 single off John Parrish in the 10th scored Jose Cruz to hand the Rays the 4-3 win...Hit his lone HR of the season the next night, April 10 vs. BAL (lefty Erik Bedard)...Signed a two-year contract on Dec. 9, 2003 following four seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals.

2003

His fourth season with the Cardinals, his .285 average was 47 points higher than his lifetime average entering the season...Made 54 starts on the year, including 42 in RF, five in LF, six at 3B and one at DH...Also played in 5 games at first base...Appeared in a total of 71 games in the outfield, the most he has played there in one season... Cardinals used 7 rightfielders...Eduardo filled in for the injured J.D. Drew...Tied for the club lead with six pinch-RBI... Underwent an emergency appendectomy on 9/2 at Chicago and returned on 9/9 with pinch-single vs. COL.

2002

Returned for his second stint with the Redbirds and made valuable contributions off the bench...Played in 96 games and made 24 starts, including 17 in right field, three in left, four at first base and one at DH...He clubbed three pinch-home runs and his 10 pinch-RBI ranked third in the National League...Went a combined 1-for-5 in four postseason games...clubbed an eighth-inning pinch homer off the Giants' Jason Schmidt in Game 2 of the League Championship Series.

2001

Contract was sold to the Hanshin Tigers of the Japanese Central League on December 20, 2000 and he spent the 2001 season playing for Hanshin...He batted just .222 (37-for-167) with three home runs and 19 RBIs with only 167 at-bats before undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.

2000

Finished among Cardinals' organizational leaders with 19 HR's and .560 slugging percentage...he added three homers while filling in for the injured Mark McGwire with St. Louis, giving him a combined 22 round-trippers for the season...hit a pair of homers at Iowa on 4/8...he pitched two scoreless innings, walking three and striking out two, and was credited with the win on 6/5 vs. Las Vegas as the Redbirds posted a 6-5 win in 18 innings...he hit grand slams vs. Nashville on 8/24 and again on 8/26...he hit an 8th-inning grand slam off the White Sox Bobby Howry in a 9-4 win on 7/14 at Comiskey Park.

1999

Signed a Minor League free-agent contract with the Cardinals in February and enjoyed an impressive season in which he batted .320 in 119 games at Triple-A Memphis and .344 in 21 games at St. Louis... earned Club MVP honors at Memphis after posting a .320, 18 HR, 82 RBI season... garnered Cardinals Minor League Player of the Month honors for April, when he batted .371 (26-for-70) with five home runs and 13 RBI... also had a solid month in July, when he batted .398 (33-for-83) with four homers and 18 RBI... ranked in the top 10 among Cardinals farmhands in batting average (3rd, .320), hits (7th, 133), doubles (5th, 31), home runs (T5th, 18), RBI (5th, 82) and slugging percentage (3rd, .524)... contract was purchased from Memphis on 9/1 and he made his St. Louis debut that night vs. FLA... hit safely in five of his eight starts for St. Louis... played six games in left field (all starts) and five games at first base (two starts)... went 5-for-13 (.385) with runners in scoring position and 3-for-8 (.375) with one RBI as a pinch-hitter... batted .471 (8-for-17) at night and .200 (3-for-15) under the sun... went 6-for-12 (.500) in five games vs. MIL... notched two hits in three straight games 9/13-15 vs. MIL, marking his longest hitting streak of the year... collected a pinch-hit RBI at CHI on 9/20... clubbed his lone Cardinal home run at CIN on 9/27. Also drove in three runs and scored twice.

1998

Hit .238 with four home runs and 30 RBI in 84 games for CIN, including 36 starts at first base... batted .345 with runners in scoring position... ranked third on the Reds squad with 35 pinch at-bats; had six pinch-RBI... batted .298 after the All-Star break... hit safely in nine of his last 11 starts of the season... tied his career high with four RBI on 4/10 at COL... on 7/19 vs. SD hit a 444-foot homer off Sterling Hitchcock, the second-longest blast at Cinergy Field in 1998; became only the 24th player ever to reach the upper deck... he and his father, Tony, are the only father/son duo to homer into the upper deck in Cincinnati... went 2-for-4 with two RBI on 8/28, the night his father was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame... suffered a hip flexor injury while rounding third base in that game and played just two more contests the remainder of the season... ended the year with a three-game hitting streak in which he went 4-for-6 with three RBI.

1997

In his most successful Major League season, hit .253 with 16 home runs and 52 RBI in 106 games (all career highs)... batted .275 vs. left-handed pitching, with eight homers and 24 RBI (both CIN club highs)... posted a .512 slugging average from the cleanup spot, among the top 10 in the NL... made 74 starts, including 58 at first base, nine in left field and seven at third base... committed just two errors in 526 total chances at first base (.9962) and had just two errors in 557 chances overall (.9964)... collected his 100th career hit on 4/20 at PIT... hit his third career pinch-homer in the 11th inning to lift the Reds to a 3-2 win over LA on 5/6... garnered a career-high four hits, including two doubles and a homer, with three RBI and three runs on 6/24 at MON... stole home on 7/22 vs. FLA... on 8/2, became the Club's starting first baseman after Hal Morris went on the disabled list... batted .248 with 12 doubles, nine homers and 29 RBI in 41 starts the rest of the season... collected a team-high 24 RBI in August... hit safely in 24 of 27 games after taking over at first, including a career-best 10-game hitting streak... cooled off after being hit in the head by a Mike Trombley pitch on 8/29 at MIN... went 5-for-51 (.098) with two homers and three RBI in his last 15 games.

1996

Was traded from the Angels to the Reds on 4/5... played 18 games at the big league level and ripped three homers... batted .293 with 21 home runs at Class AAA Indianapolis, earning team MVP honors... ranked among the American Association's top five in RBI (84) and runs scored (84), and was named to the circuit's postseason All-Star squad... went on a hitting rampage 4/14 through 5/9, hitting safely in an Indians season-high 21 straight games (.378, 29-for-78)... was recalled by the Reds on 6/4 and was offered the chance to wear his father's uniform No. 24, but respectfully declined... made his CIN debut that same night (0-for-3) and was returned to Indy following the game... was recalled to CIN for the second time on 7/3 and played six games while going 3-for-10... ripped his first Reds homer on 7/14 vs. PIT and he and his father became the fifth father-son tandem to homer at Cinergy Field... was returned to Indy on 7/17... hit for the cycle on 7/21 at Oklahoma City... recalled 8/31 and appeared in 11 September games for the Reds.

1995

Began the season as the Angels starting third baseman... appeared in 22 games (20 starts) and batted .169 with five RBI before being sent down to Triple-A Vancouver on 5/31... batted .325 with six homers and 37 RBIs in 69 games at AAA... tied for second on the Canadiens in batting average and led the Club with seven triples... was outstanding on the road, batting .341... hit .382 in July... hit five of his six homers in August; all six came on the road... earned a 9/1 recall to CAL and hit the Club's only pinch-homer of the season 9/22 at TEX... underwent surgery 12/1 to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

1994

Began the season on the Angels Opening Day roster and went 2-for-5 with an RBI at first base... made just one error in 35 starts at first base (.997 fielding pct.)... collected all five of his homers in his first 15 games... posted two-homer games 4/15 at TOR and 4/21 at BAL... appeared in 38 games for the Angels before being sent down to Class AAA Vancouver on 6/4... batted .297 in 61 games for the Canadiens... collected 19 multi-hit games... played the final six weeks with a hernia in his right side... had surgery following the Triple-A playoffs.

1993

Spent the majority of the year at Class-AAA Vancouver, where he batted .306 with 12 home runs and 70 RBI in 96 games... was named to the Triple-A All-Star Game as starting third baseman (0-for-2)... drove in a season-high six runs 5/3 at Albuquerque... contract was purchased by CAL on 7/26... made his Major League debut 7/27 vs. OAK as the starting third baseman; recorded his first big league hit (a double off Joe Boever) and belted his first big league homer (three-run, off Kevin Campbell)... became just the 21st player in Angels history to hit a home run in his first game... it represented the first home run for the Perez family at Anaheim Stadium since Tony Perez connected for a game-winning 15th-inning homer at the 1967 All-Star Game... by making his big-league debut, Eduardo and Tony became the 129th father-son combination to play in the Major Leagues.

1992

Split the season between Class A Palm Springs and Class AA Midland... batted .314 at Palm Springs and earned a trip to the California League All-Star Game... was promoted to Midland on 6/21 and batted .230 with 23 RBI in 62 games... was rated by Baseball America as the third-best prospect in the Angels organization.

1991

Helped lead Class A Boise to its first Northwest League championship... batted .288 with 22 RBI in 46 games... led Boise in doubles (13) and stolen bases (12)... was rated by Baseball America as the sixth-best prospect in the NWL.